Grain separator and cleaner



(No M odeL) 2 Sheets.-Sheet 1. W. R. DUNLAP. GRAIN SBPARATOR AND CLEANER.

No. 374,947. Patented-Dec. 20, 1887.

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W. R. DUNLAP.

- GRAIN SEPARATOR AND CLEANER. No. 374,947. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

witmm I gwuanto t State of Ohio, have invented certain new and tions necessary to prepare the grain for the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM R. DUNLAP, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

GRAIN SEPARATOR AND CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 374,947, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed July 1, 1286. Serial No. 206,855.

T at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. DUNLAP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and useful Improvements in Grain Separators and Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in grain separators and cleaners. Its object isa combined machine to perform all the operagrinding-mill.

The invention consists in certain improve ments, which will be first fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations of the opposite ends of the machine. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal vertical View, partlyin elevation and partly in section, of the scouring-cylinder, casing, and fan. Fig. 5 is a broken detail view of the sconring-cylinder,taken through line as 00 of Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a similar view taken through line 3 y of Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a detail View illustrating the means for adjusting the brushes radially, so as to bring them nearer to or farther from the perforated case. Fig. 8 is a similar view taken at right angles to the view shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a broken section of the perforated sheet-metal casing, drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 10 is a transverse vertical section taken through line a o of Fig. 9.

A is the frame of the machine, in the upper part of which is mounted the riddle or separator B, which may be of any approved construction, the drop'spout d of which discharges the partly cleaned grain into the scouring-casing (l. The outer case, D, of the sconrer is built upon cast-metal disks E and F, which have projecting flanges e and f, which receive fastening-screws or rivets for securing the case D to the disks E and F. The case of the fan G is secured to one end of the case D byangle-pieces g. The case D terminates at the bottom in a hopper-shaped ex These openings are arranged in rows, and each tension, which is provided with an upwardly closing valve, d, to discharge any heavy sub- (No model.)

stance or dust which may pass through the perforated casing and not be drawn off by the fan. Upon the inside of the disks E and F are secured rings 6 and -f, upon which the perforated sheet-metal casing O, within which the scourers revolve, is secured. The perforated casing O is made of light sheet-steel, and is perforated with a series of slotted openings, 0, and concave depressions c, the latter being centrally perforated, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. The slotted openings 0 are preferably made about one inch long and wide enough to let the dust escape and retain the grain.

5 opening is at an angle to the axis of the casing,

the space occupied by each series being from four to six inches wide. The space between these rows of perforations is occupied by concave depressions c, the central portions of which are perforated with round holes large enough to admit the ends of the grain, but not large enough to allow the grain to pass through.

The concave or countersunk depressions on the inside of the casing are about one-half an inch in diameter on the inside and about oneeighth of an inch deep in the center. They are thus in diameter a little more than the length of the grain, so that the sides of the grain as it passes over these perforated depressions or countersinks will be scoured, and one end of the grain will enter the countersinks and pass into the perforations, and as the cylinder revolves it is turned over, and the perforations remove the fuzz and mother germ from the ends of the grain as they protrude into the round holes in the centers of the countersinks, and thus secure a double action on the grain as it is drawn over the alternate sections of different kinds of openings in the perforated casing. If the openings were all oblong, like the perforations 0, the grain would be scoured too severely on the sides and not sufficiently on the ends, and if the openings were all like the openings 0 the grain would be too severely secured on the ends and not enough on the sides; but by alternating the rows of these perforations and depressions and arranging them in different sections the grain r00- is perfectly cleaned by the action of the revolving scourers, which I will now describe.

On the driving-shaft H are mounted three disksone opposite each end of the casing and one opposite its middle. Two of these disks, I Ione at the exhaust end of the casing and one at the center-are the same in construction, and the one J at the opposite end of the casing, a detail view of which is shown at Fig. 5, differs from the others in being recessed at j to receive brushes K. These disks are provided with central hubs. i and j, to give them a firm bearing upon the shaft, upon which they are secured by keys or set-screws. The scouring-cylinder is composed of segmental plates L, which extend the full length of the cylinder, heaters m, and brushes K. There may be four or more of these segments L,

placed at equal distances apart, and the same number of brushes K and of sections composed of beaters m. The spaces intervening between these segments are equally divided, the spaces at the receiving end of the scouring-cylinder being bridged over by the heaters on. These consist of semi-oval bars of steel placed parallel with the shaft and forming a corrugated surface, being slightly separated to permit the dust to pass through them. They extend about one-half the length of the cylinder, being secured in any suitable manner on the flanged peripheries of the disks I I. The spaces between the scourers L at the discharge end of the cylinder are to receive the brushes K, which are adapted to slide radially within these spaces. These brushes are mounted upon arms is, which are fitted to slide in radial grooves formed in the ends of the spool N, which spool is secured upon the shaft H, as shown in Fig. 8. At each end of the spool, and fitted'loosely upon the shaft H, is a cogged disk, 0, which has eccentric slots 0 through it to receive pins, which project from the inner ends of the arms k.

The spool N has two brackets, 11, projecting one from each end, to furnish bearings for the shaft 1?. This shaft has secured upon it two pinions, p, which mesh into the teeth of the cogged disks 0, and the shaft is also provided with a hand-wheel, p, by which it is rotated to turn the disks 0 in either direction for the purpose of adjusting the brushes K radially with relation to the casing O. The disks 0, after the brushes are adjusted to the proper position, are locked to the spool N by tightening the nuts 0 upon screws which pass from the ends of the spool through the concentric slots 0 in each of the disks 0.

The backs of the brushes-K are perforated between the bristle-tufts for the purpose of permitting air to pass through from the inside of the cylinder to carry off the dust that is removed by the brushing process. On the outer faces of the segments L are cast projecting teeth Z, oval in shape, and chilled on the ends and sides. These teeth are cast in rows and arranged slightly spirally, so as to move the grain along the cylinder from the end where it enters toward the discharge end.

These segments may be made of sheetsteel H which receives a belt, Q, for driving the shaft R of the separating attachment. This shaft is provided with suitable eccentrics and rods for the purpose of giving the sieve-frame vibrating motion in the usual manner. The center of the disk E is provided with a finewire sieve, S, to admit air to the scouring-cylinder, and near its periphery it has slots 6 to admit air into the space between the outer case, D, and the perforated casing O. The opposite disk F has also similar perforations f", which will permit the dust which passes through the perforated casing G to be drawn into and discharged from the fan. The windtrunk or suctionspout has a vertical branch, T, into the lower end of which the grain is discharged after leaving the scourer. The upper end of this branch is connected to a horizontal branch, T, which extends to the opposite end of the machine, where it connects with a vertical branch, T which terminates at the fan G. The opposite end of the horizontal branch T terminates in a vertical spout, it, through which the grain passes as it is fed into the shoe U, which leads to the separator B.

The shoe U is but an imperforated extension of the upper sieve of the separator, the separator and the shoe being of the form now in common use.

The grain enters the suction-spout at t, where it is met by a strong upward current, which draws the chaff and dustinto the fan. Should any heavy grains be drawn into the suctionspout with the chaff they will fall into the pocket t, and be discharged through the outwardly-opening valve at its lower end upon the shoe U. The grain passes down the shoe to the separator and undergoes the usual separation, and is discharged from the separator into the scourer through the spout or hopper d, where it is first subjected to the scouring action of the scouring-segments L and beaters m. As it is passed to the discharge end of the scourer, it is acted upon by the scourers L and the brushes, the combined action of which finishes and completely cleans the grain. It will thus be seen that the three steps of separating, scouring, and brushing the grain are carried on in my machine, that but one fanis required for all of the operations, and that but one driving shaft is required to run the fan, the scouring-cylinder, and the separator.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination,in a grain separator and cleaner, of the scourer comprising the inclosed perforated casing and the scouring-cylinder provided with scouring plates and brushes, as

IIO

described, the cylinder-shaft and fan mounted thereon, the separator arranged above the scourer, and the branched suction-spout to convey the dust and screenings to the fan from the separator and scourer, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination,in a grain separator and cleaner, of the scouring-cylinder provided with segments L, brushes K, and heaters m, arranged as shown, the perforated casing C, the separator D, arranged above the scourer, the fan G, and branched suction-spout communicating with the fan and separator and scourer, substantially as shown and described.

3. A perforated casing for grain-cleaning machines, which consists of the sheet-metal casing 0, having a-series of oblong slots, 0, and centrally-perforated depressions c, said slots and depressions being each in series of longitudinal rows and alternating with each other around the cylinder.

4. The revolving cylinder for scouring and cleaning grain, consisting of the perforated brushes K, the segments L, and beaters m, arranged substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination of the case D, the disks E F, casing O,having longitudinal perforations c and concave perforated depressions c, the scouring-cylinder provided with segments L, heaters m, and perforated brushes K, arranged as described, the shaft H, and fan G, the separator 13, arranged above the scourer to discharge into the receiving end thereof, the shaft R, and belt Q, to transmit power from shaft H to the separator B, and the branched suctionspout T T T, to convey the foreign substances from the grain as it is undergoing the different steps of separating and cleaning, substantially as shown and described.

WILLIAM R. DUNLAP.

Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, 0. \V. Mines. 

